I doodle in the margins

lost in thought

maybe its just because of the holidays and maybe its just my own over sensitivity to things but people seem increasingly religious lately. people who are normally calm level headed raging against “happy holidays.” People who are normally non-religious in every day vernacular wishing “blessed” holidays or similar. Though OtherJ and i noticed the other day, that even on our little redneck area of the planet we have not seen one sign that said – specifically – ‘Jesus is the reason for the season.’ This tiny thing made us happy. The awareness to these things may be stemming from the fact that I am increasingly anti-religion in general, though I don’t remember being pro- religion any time in recent history. I have some family that are very religious but they also seem to be practicing what they are preaching and focusing on the being a good person good to other people rather than the exclusionary parts. Actually almost all of my family who is religious is this way it seems… maybe i should focus on that part rather than the small things that just rub me the wrong way. We don’t have to agree on everything. Maybe its the two faced part of religion that just gets to me. Saying one thing and then completely ignoring the other parts… picking and choosing from whatever fits their purpose at the time. at least admit to it. *sigh* I don’t think I have a religious bone in my body. Maybe I’m just lazy or too apathetic. I’ve been working fine from internal disapproval and guilt without the added pressure of someone else looking over my shoulder and watching me live in sin. Which part of me is perfectly happy to continue to do based on the fact that not everyone is doing it by choice. Considering the definition of words changes overtime a million times why is it that everyone is hooked on a word that has been an exchange of human cattle and more of an economic status to something that is pseudo-religious and just a means to show legal responsibility for children. Why is it now that people care about defining it so stringently and making so exclusive. More and more people are not doing it at all because – well there isn’t much of a point depending on where you live. Though there is a tax break here, if you’re not religious there isn’t much more of a reason. You don’t have to be legally bound to another person to throw a party and celebrate with the other people you love, but I don’t think they’d be as willing to give you presents or travel across the country. “Think of the children…” I’m not convinced I want children. And even if I did want/have them, I’m not convinced you need to be married in order to have them. I know many perfectly happy people unmarried -by choice or not- who have perfectly happy relationships and well brought up children. If in some distant (my version of distant at this point is 10 years) future I change my mind and make procreating a goal in my life, this whole “think of the children” idea may be part of that discussion, but it might not. OtherJ and I have three friends getting married this year (officially this year now), I have at least one having more children and I am perfectly content to live vicariously through them for the moment. Part of me wants to get married in the future. No real logical reason other than wanting that legally binding declaration celebrating with friends and family. I sometimes wonder why non religious people want to get married – but then i remember there are certain benefits here. What happens if someone needs to make medical decisions, what happens to any sort of pension that may exist in the future, other little things for surviving family members; legal family members not just the people you consider to be your family. Sometimes I feel completely alone in how I think. I realize that no one is going to think exactly like me, but there are times I feel like none gets it – at least not all of it. My friends & family range from the one end of the spectrum to the other so I can understand no one really understanding. OtherJ gets me for the most part, and the parts he doesn’t he tries to if I can get the words out to explain. I’m happy with that. It would probably be less interesting if it were any other way.

Today I read “Ten Challenges of the Religious Community,” by nakedpastor. It made me happy and started this whole rambling session. Normally I follow the Friendly Atheist, Praying to Darwin, and the Redheaded Skeptic . Though Praying to Darwin is not normally any where close to religious – she’s funny and Canadian – so I love her. I’d look into being Canadian too if it weren’t so cold to live there. Something else I’ve been reading/looking at recently because OtherJ is mostly if not entirely Buddhist is http://www.buddhanet.net, which is more philosophical than religious. Maybe I’m swinging that way but I’m probably too angry and confrontational to be Buddhist. I don’t think I’d last very long. Its a good think I’m mostly a coward and non-confrontational otherwise I’m sure I’d have had my ass kicked more by now.
Events to look forward to this year? getting to meet Miss Madeline, Kris and Trent’s wedding, Matt and Marie’s wedding, visits to MI, PA and NH, a real vacation, Ashley’s babies, and I’m sure there are more but those stick out in my head right now. I’m sure I’ll be able to fit more events to look forward to in to the year and I’m sure a lot of those events will within the events listed above. If I’m missing anything let me know.

Now how’s that for the first post of two thousand and ten? Maybe I should do this more often.